Welcome to "The Sailing Yogi" and author, Carole Fontaine!
Known to some as, “The Sailing Yogi,” Carole Fontaine teaches by
sharing stories of her 20 years of living aboard a sailboat to illustrate the
life lessons and challenges she overcame. A successful professional graphic
designer, she left the busy world of design after her health failed and sent
her on a 10-year journey to search for answers and heal from chronic disease.
She studied holistic and yogic philosophies and learned ways to
manage her health. This ignited a passion for teaching and helping people apply
simple techniques to live healthier lives and discover their heart’s purpose.
Carole is a certified Life Coach, Meditative Writing, Shakti Dance® Yoga, and
Reiki Master Teacher.
Readers live vicariously through Carole’s journey of finding her
voice, taking control of her health, and discovering her passion, forgiveness,
and strength—all while sailing the ocean, diving in caves, swimming with
sharks, surviving hurricanes, waking up in a sinking boat, and maneuvering in a
meager 41 feet of living space with an unconventional husband and, of course, a
dog.
Who on earth would purposely choose to live this type of
inevitably challenging and non-conforming life? One who sought the freedom to
reclaim and reinvent herself—meet Carole—she’s driven to inspire others to rise
above omnipresent (and sometimes self-induced) drama, so she could manifest a
life that offers true prosperity and authentic happiness.
Praised for her ability to connect with individuals on a deeply
personal level, Fontaine inspires change through storytelling, mindfulness
education, and meditative writing. She teaches online classes and when not in a
pandemic, offers local in-person classes.
Fontaine was awarded an Inspirational Leadership Scholarship by
Female About Business (FAB), a division of the Florida Deland Chamber of
Commerce.
Her four-book series shares adventures, inspiring lessons, and
self-mastery tools which underpin her program S.A.I.L.: Simplify, Align,
Integrate, and Let Go—so you can live an extraordinary life. Book one, SAIL
Above the Clouds—How to Simplify your Life, recently launched to excellent
reviews and enthusiastic readers from all walks of life.
After living in Florida for 25 years and sailing the Bahamas
extensively, she sailed to Maine where she currently lives with her husband of
30-years, and has a thriving graphic design business. She is currently working
on Book #2 of the series.
SNEAK PEEK / WEBSITE: https://bit.ly/3mdK0tm
AMAZON: https://amzn.to/3q4bQdR
KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/sail-above-the-clouds
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1621129.Carole_D_Fontaine
FB: https://www.facebook.com/InspiredCreationsInc
IG: https://www.instagram.com/awomaninspired/
What was the most difficult section/piece you ever wrote? What
made it difficult?
The chapters that were the most difficult
to write were about the years when I was sick and doctors couldn’t diagnose the
source of my illness. Understandably, it’s never pleasant to relive your most
anguished memories when you’re depressed and considering your mortality. I had
to dive deep and relive those fears so I could describe that period, and although
I’ve healed so much since, there is still a lot of heaviness around it.
No matter how painful, I honor these
experiences because the lessons that I learned were vital to my growth and
healing. I know a lot of readers either struggle with their health or have watched
someone they love go through a health scare. It’s important to know that we are
not alone and that our health is the number one most important thing in life.
What sort of research do you do for your work?
Since my book is the story of my life, I haven’t needed to do a
lot of research. I did look up certain facts when describing locations or
confirmed data from events like documented hurricanes.
I also share meditations and tools for personal growth after each chapter and
those are either inspired from the years of trainings I’ve had in different
modalities, or common knowledge in the mindfulness or health & wellness
fields.
Which books and authors do you read for pleasure? Is there an
author that inspires you?
Brené Brown is definitely on the top of my list of adorned inspirational
leaders, and I have
immense respect for Eckhart Tolle. For fiction, I thoroughly enjoy Starhawk’s
The Fifth Sacred Thing and read the first book several times. I haven’t tackled
the rest of the series yet but have it on my kindle. I was captivated by Diana
Gabaldon’s Outlander series and loved Jean Auel’s Clan of The Cave Bear series.
I love fantasy, magical stories, and period pieces with strong inspirational leading
ladies.
Was there a person who encouraged you to write?
I used to keep a diary as a kid but stopped writing when I went to
college. I wish I hadn’t, that would have made a great book! Mom probably would
have liked it less! Fast forward 20 years and a friend I used to know when I
was sick kept telling me that I should journal. At the time, I was followed by numerous
doctors and barely had the strength to think of anything else except healing my
body, so I didn’t take her advice. Eventually, I reached my darkest night of
the soul, and in a desperate attempt to find answers I started to journal and look
for holistic ways to understand why my body was failing me.
As I healed, my journal became a kind friend I could confide in. I found
my voice, discovered patterns in my life, and recognized that I had been
avoiding issues that were affecting my health. Writing helped me heal. I also got
trained in meditation, yoga, and miscellaneous healing techniques, and since
journaling had been so beneficial to me, I eventually started to teach
Meditative Writing, blending some of these practices for more powerful results.
For 20 years, I always kept a captain’s log of our travels, and on occasion would write short stories for myself to document particular events. Once I started teaching Meditative Writing, I started to illustrate my classes with stories of our life on board and students loved it. This is how the idea of my SAIL ABOVE THE CLOUDS series was born. I feel blessed because I get to share two things I love the most in one book: my life on the boat, and inspiring others to live a healthier and happier life!
What would you say are your strengths as an author?
I
inspire. I always find a silver ray through the clouds, no matter how bad the
storm.
And it’s not out of naivety or avoidance of “bad” situations because I face
challenges dead on. Fear may have me shaking at the helm but I stand my ground
and look at the storm in the eye, and do what needs to get done to get out of
whatever mess I’m in. Yes, afterward I may fall to pieces for a while, but I
always acknowledge that there is a lesson waiting to shine through.
It is
how I got out of my depression and how I tackled every scary obstacles I have faced.
My greatest mission in life is to inspire people. I named my company Inspired
Creations. It started out as a graphic design company as I inspired through
art. It expanded to jewelry design with Reiki Infused Crystals Jewelry that
inspired beauty and health. Then morphed into inspiring people to better their
lives through Meditative Writing, personal growth, and Shakti Dance Yoga
classes. And now, I am inspiring through words and stories, and that fills my
heart with joy.
Inspiration
is something that connects us all no matter what culture, background, or walks
of life. We all need inspiration to urge us to live our best life. Stories
inspire us to rise above the clouds that permeate our daily drama and believe
that our dreams can become our destiny. We are infused with energy, speak up,
and make a stand. We create a better life for ourselves, better communities to thrive
in, and a better world to live in.
It is
a great honor to inspire others and no matter how different our stories are, I can
relate to almost anyone. We have common grounds, we are all human. My stories
may be on a sailboat, but the challenge of finding my voice and gaining the
strength to take control of my life is the same whether it is sailing a 20-ton
vessel, firing your doctors, or starting your own business.
Hopefully,
I can share some light on a cloudy day with my S.A.I.L. book series:
S-implify your life,
A-lign your goals with your heart’s purpose,
I-ntegrate tools for success, and
L-et go of all that doesn’t serve you.
And my adventures on Windsong may just inspire you to Sail Above the Clouds!
How often do you write, and do you write using a strict routine?
I need to be inspired to write. (Recognize the theme? It rules my life!)
That being said, I am an inspired soul so I write a lot! My favorite time, of
course, is as I wake up in the morning when the veil of dreamland is thin, and
I still have one foot in the other realm. I find that writing early before the
hustle and bustle of the day, or after meditation helps me connect with my
inner voice. I even surprise myself sometimes by the harmony of the words that
flow onto the pages.
If I’m working on a book, I get up, do my meditation, and then work on
the book without interruption or looking at any social media or television. SAIL
Above the Clouds is a series of four books, all at different stages of
completion. It used to be one large book, but at the suggestion of a
professional in the industry I cut it down to four. I have been working on this
heart project on and off for five years.
In 2020, I started doing a special meditation to remove blockages. After
I did it for 40 consecutive days, I told myself that if I can do this, surely I
can commit to working on my book every single day, even if only for ten minutes
until it’s done. I did and it was one of the grandest moments in my life when I
typed THE END, and say out loud: IT IS DONE! Not just because the book was finished,
but because I kept my promise to myself.
In the past, I had broken my word, pushed back my launch date, allowed
self-doubts to push aside my writing, and procrastinated. This time, I kept my
commitment. I proved to myself that I could accomplish what I set out to do. Dreams
do become reality when you take constant actions towards your goal. It was
extremely empowering!
SAIL ABOVE THE CLOUDS
GET ONBOARD & GET INSPIRED as Carole invites readers to join
her as she sells everything and moves aboard a 41’ sailboat where she’ll spend
the next 20 years navigating life’s highs and lows. Laugh at her beginner’s
mistakes, cringe at the hurricanes coming, take heart in her search to heal
from chronic illness, and rejoice in her finding the strength to conquer it
all, and find meaningful purpose.
Packed with adventures, at times humorous, other times far-out
scary, it is also an inspiring tool of self-discovery with each chapter sharing
lessons she learned, and a journaling question and transformational exercises
for the reader to go on an inner journey.
The reviews are outstanding and the most recurring note is “I
couldn’t put it down!”
SAIL Above the Clouds—How to Simplify your Life, was the #1 New Release on Amazon for 3 weeks in 3 categories, and has sold copies on 5 of the 7 continents!
Read the outstanding reviews on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3q4bQdR
More info & SNEAK PEEK: https://bit.ly/3mdK0tm
May you sail above the clouds! ~ ⛵ ~
Buy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3q4bQdR
Back Cover:
GET ONBOARD AND GET INSPIRED!
Unafraid to ‘rock the boat,’ this sailor-turned-author drops her
truth bombs—like an anchor. Here’s your chance to live vicariously through one
woman's journey of finding her voice, taking control of her health, and
discovering her passions, strength and capacity for love and forgiveness.
Join Carole as she moves onto a boat, adapts to a new lifestyle,
learns hard ‘beginner’ lessons, sails the breathtaking ocean, survives gale
storms, and navigates life for 20 years in a meager 41 feet of living space
with an unconventional husband and, of course, a dog.
S.A.I.L. Above the Clouds weaves big emotions, humorous impasses,
and motivating results through topics such as overcoming major health concerns
and chronic disease, tackling mental health, surviving the doldrums of a
30-year marriage, discovering life’s purpose, and learning when you’re the
crab’s dinner, or receiving a naked spank from Mother Nature.
How to SIMPLIFY Your Life is the first of a four-book series where
each book represents a unique aspect from the author’s signature program
S.A.I.L: Simplify, Align, Integrate, Let Go. Readers will benefit from tips and
insights on how to simplify all aspects of their life while exploring different
healing modalities, writing prompts, and exercises following each chapter.
It is packed with stories that will make readers laugh, cry, or
cringe—all weaved into an interactive set of tools that invites you to dive
deep into a journey of self-discovery and come out of it energized,
enlightened, and inspired!
Raise your sails and set course on an exciting and purpose-driven adventure!
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